Beefed Up
Ballpark standbys meet an underrated vegetable
You may not expect a chef to champion ketchup and pretzel salt. But the two ingredients were key in getting Montreal chef Frédéric Morin to eat his vegetables. Well, one vegetable in particular: Jerusalem artichokes. Morin, a co-author of the newly released The Art of Living According to Joe Beef, couldn't stomach Jerusalem artichokes until he tried them sprinkled with coarse salt and dipped in ketchup. He says the combination is more classic then one might think. "The idea of warming fat, cooking something in that fat and serving it with a sweet-sour condiment speaks to people in a basic way," he says. As for using pretzel salt, Morin likens it to the original sea salt, imparting the ideal amount of crunch.
Jerusalem Artichokes with Ketchup
Yield: 4 servings
Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons rendered chicken fat, unsalted butter or olive oil
8 large Jerusalem artichokes
3 tablespoons water
Big handful of coarse salt
Pretzel salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme
Ketchup, for serving
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Smear the chicken fat, butter or olive oil onto a rimmed, nonstick baking sheet.
2. Place the artichokes in a large, heavy-duty lock-top plastic bag and add the water to the bag. Add the coarse salt, seal the bag and shake well. Open the bag and rinse the artichokes thoroughly. (This is a great way to clean Jerusalem artichokes. It removes dirt and debris better than your hands would.)
3. Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise and arrange them, cut side down, in a single layer on the prepared pan. Season them generously with the pretzel salt and pepper. Scatter the thyme leaves evenly over the top.
4. Place the artichokes in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Turn the artichokes and cook for another 30 minutes or until browned and slightly shriveled.
5. Take the artichokes out of the oven, let cool and serve with ketchup.
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About The Chef
Frédéric Morin (right) and David McMillan (left) are the co-owners and chefs of Joe Beef, Liverpool House and McKiernan Luncheonette. Morin is a graduate of L'École Hôtelière des Laurentides and a veteran of Montreal's dynamic Jean-Talon Market, Restaurant Toqué and Globe. McMillan apprenticed at the Savoy in London, worked as a chef at the Sooke Harbour House in Victoria, BC, and cooked at La Crémaillère and Thibert in Burgundy, France. Meredith Erickson (center) was one of the original members of the Joe Beef staff and has written for magazines, newspapers and television. The Art of Living According to Joe Beef was published in 2011.
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